SNP told NHS will pay for failure to fund Men’ s Shed

The SNP government has been accused of “presiding over a loneliness timebomb” after cutting ties with the Scottish Men’s Shed movement.

Government funding ended in April 2022, but a last-minute sum of £75,000 was agreed between Scottish ministers and the charity last year.

However, there has been no funding agreement this year.

Aberdeenshire West MSP Alexander Burnett slammed the decision amid concerns it could increase loneliness among members and put pressure on NHS and social care services.

“Men’s Sheds can have hundreds of members and they deliver an incalculable benefit to society.

“People from all walks of life can gather to learn new skills, pass on their experience, and benefit from a level of companionship they might otherwise be denied,” said Mr Burnett.

Mr Burnett believes that the initial £75,000 was a “tiny amount” in comparison to how much it would have eased pressure on NHS and social care services.

According to a recent study, research found that adults tend to get more lonely as they age.

It suggested that loneliness can follow a U-shaped pattern which means it is higher during younger and older adulthood, but lower during middle-age when people are working or with their own families.

Men’s Sheds have often been praised for their efforts to combat social isolation as they unite men across various communities.

Alford and District Men’s Shed founder Dr John Reid has watched the number of participants increase since establishing the group in 2017. He said: “We’ve had people who weren’t going out very much coming to us.

“There’s one gentleman who wasn’t going out socialising much but has really enjoyed his time and he’s now managed to find employment after rehabilitating himself in the Men’s Shed.”

A petition for government funding to continue its support of Men’s Sheds has reached more than 4,000 signatures online.

But there is now confusion over which area of government could support the charity, after community wealth portfolio holder Tom Arthur confirmed it is “not supported by a specific minister”.

Mr Burnett requested details on where funding could come from, but he believes the effort has been “disowned.” The Scottish Government was approached for comment.

Anger at the funding blow comes as new research looked into ageing.

The findings indicate that young adults may feel more lonely as they try to navigate life changes, like starting new jobs, while older people may be lonely as they lose partners or suffer health problems.

Risk factors for increased loneliness throughout life were highlighted in the research, including social isolation, education level and physical disability.

Corresponding author Eileen Graham, associate professor of medical social sciences at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, USA, said: “What was striking was how consistent the uptick in loneliness is in older adulthood.

“There’s a wealth of evidence that loneliness is related to poorer health.”

The findings are published in the journal Psychological Science.

HUGE BENEFITS: A member of the Alford and District Men’s Shed in action. Picture by Kenny Elrick.